In the Face of Death
by datweirdkid
Summary: Covered in grime and dirt the young raven haired man pulled himself from the sidewalk. He only made it a few steps before he collapsed, clutching his stomach from hunger pains."F-Fenton! is that you!" was the last thing he heard before his vision blurred and he passed out.
1. Chapte 1

**AN: Alright guys, I started this story a while back now I am picking it back up and editing. **

**If anyone is interested in being a much appreciated beta reader please let me know! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Danny Phantom

Covered in grime and dirt the young raven haired man pulled himself from the sidewalk. He only made it a few steps before he collapsed, clutching his stomach from hunger pains."F-Fenton?! is that you?!" was the last thing he heard before his vision blurred and he passed out.

In a frenzy, Danny awoke in a strange room and sat up from the large bed where he lie. Taking in the light blue room, he wracked his brain trying so hard to remember how he got there. Suddenly the door opened and a tall man, with blonde hair and broad shoulders came into view holding what seemed to be a bowl of soup. He scanned the mans face in complete confusion, taking in his sharp features. That's when it hit him, Danny was in the presence of his former bully, Dash Baxter.

In total shock, Danny as if reflex threw his arms over his head anticipating the beating of a lifetime. "Fenton...what are you doing?" Dash asked innocently as he set the soup down on the bedside table. " I brought you some chicken soup..I guess you must be pretty hungry, huh?… you were in pretty rough condition when I found you…". Danny looked up at him still in shock. "You're being nice to me?...why?" he inquired. Dash seemed mildly offended and sighed " I suppose I deserve that, I'm sorry Fenton I was a real dick with some serious issues. I was pretty rough on you back then. It's just when I seen you passed out on the sidewalk, I couldn't not help.….I just couldn't figure out how you could have possibly wound up there "

Danny froze, racking his brain for a believable excuse. He couldn't tell Dash about the ghost fights or about what happened to his family..to Sam…

Still groggy from lack of sleep and food he replied "It doesn't matter and as much as I appreciate you trying to help… it's best I leave now. Thank you very much but I need to go" Danny insisted. He slowly made his way toward the door, his legs faltering half way there.

Immediately, Dash went to Danny attempting to help him up but decided it was best to pick him up bridal style. "Dash.. put me down I'm fine" Danny said weakly pushing against the jocks chest, "I need to go". With a sad look on Dash's face he looked at Danny and laid him back on the bed. " Fenton, no way in hell you are leaving this house until I am convinced you are okay. You couldn't even make it to the door! How long has it been since you have even had food?! You are practically skin and bones". Danny shrugged, not wanting to admit how long it had been."It's been a while, but I'll be fine. In fact, I am fine" Danny proclaimed and attempted to sit up but failed miserably. All Dash could do was stare at Danny in disbelief. "Fenton…. I..well that's it!" Dash brought the bowl of soup to Danny, "If it really has been a while since you have eaten, we'll have to be careful about how much you eat at first". Dash picked up the spoon, holding it to Danny's mouth waiting patiently. "Dash, c'mon. You've got to be kidding. I can feed myself!" Danny responded and reached for the spoon, shaking uncontrollably. Dash, simply pulled the spoon away from Danny and gave him a look. "C'mon, open up. Just consider this as me making up for all the hell I put you through in high school. Anyways, at this point you're shaking so bad you'll get soup all over yourself." Danny studied Dash a moment to make sure he was being sincere. After a bit of consideration Danny reluctantly opened his mouth unable to let himself pass up food.

**I'll have the next chapter within the next couple of days, sorry that one was so short. As the story progresses the chapters are longer. **


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Don't forget to rate & review!**

Dash looked down at the sleeping man and let out a deep sight. "Fenton…. what on earth could have happened to you?" he said to no one and reached down to brush Danny's mess of hair from his face. Dash pulled the comforter over the sleeping man and left the room, gently shutting the door careful not to wake him.

Unsure of what to do until Danny woke up, Dash sat on his couch running through this mornings events. Dash would have never imagined that he would find an ill Fenton alleyway, in fact he could hardly believe it happened at all. The memory of finding Fenton on the ground, covered in blood and grime. It was obvious he was in pain by the way he held his stomach and the thin layer of sweat on his face.

Dash shivered at the thought of it and tried to push the memory from his mind. With a pat of Danny's shoulder he quietly walked from the bedroom.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Dash looked up from the boiling noodles to see Danny, looking smaller than ever standing in the doorway of the bedroom.

"Well, just in time sleeping beauty. I made spaghetti, I hope you like it. I'm assuming that you're hungry. If you would like, theres probably enough time for you to take a hot shower before the food is ready."

Confused Danny stood watching Dash, " What the fuck?" Danny asked rubbing his forehead. " I mean, where the fuck am I?" he questioned.

" You're uh, well I found you laying in an alleyway outside my apartment and it looked like you needed some help so I...brought you here…" Dash responded.

"You? You, Dash Baxter brought me here to help me? Ha, you fucking hate me! Oh, What!? What are you waiting for? Go ahead take a swing, every one else has."Danny yelled, shaking. Dash wondered if Danny was shaking from fear or lack of food.

"Look, no it's not like that. I'm sorry I was a real dick in high school and I've said and done some fucked up things to you, but let me make that up to you." Dash rubbed his eyes, " Let me help you" he pleaded.

Danny watched Dash unable to respond and ran to the door closest to him for cover. Lucky enough for Danny it was a bathroom. He slid to the floor and began to cry. 'He's lying, he's lying people don't help you Fenton' Danny thought to himself. Feeling helpless, he tried to go intangible to slip from the apartment but he could still feel the cold tile on his skin. Distraught,

he curled into a ball feeling worthless.

"Listen Danny, I understand if you need some time. Just so you know the towels are in the closet so just feel free to go ahead and shower while you're in there….Take all the time you need" Dash reassured through the door, "Food is ready when you are".

Danny laid hugging his knees and after a moment of two he decided to shower. The moment the hot water hit his shoulders the tension began to melt away. Danny could see the dirt washing from his body and swirling down the drain and imagined to dirt was stress. For just a little while he felt at ease and realized how much he missed indoor plumbing. With a sigh Danny shut off the water and stepped from the tub. Dripping water onto the tile, he wrapped a towel around his waist suddenly very aware of his lack of clean clothes.

"Fuck it" Danny said as he stepped out of the bathroom in a towel, freezing when he seen Dash with a pink apron pulling something from the oven. Unable to control himself, Danny fell to the floor laughing. "Dash you have lost all credibility as a hard ass", Danny cried through his snorts.

Dash blushed, his face matching his pink apron, " Come on Fenton, if you're done mocking me I've actually made a pretty decent meal" he said without looking up at the laughing man.

"Dash in an apron like that are you sure that _you_ aren't the meal" Danny teased while pulling himself to his feet.

Dash turned away, his face going beet red, "Shut it Fenton and get some clothes on. I left out something on the bed. They will probably be too big for you but it's better than nothing I suppose".

Danny wiped his eye with a sigh and followed instruction, coming back into the living room in loose boxer shorts and a baggy t-shirt. Now it was Dash's turn to chuckle, "Sorry my clothes are so loose on you" he said setting two plates of spaghetti on the table. "Go ahead, help yourself. I hope it tastes okay".

Danny took a seat and looked at the spaghetti, entranced. Slowly, Danny lifted a forkful of spaghetti to his mouth, moaning when he took his first bite. " Oh my God", Danny said through his food, "This is delicious".

Once they had finished eating, the two men began discussing their life since graduation.

" I know, but after high school Kwan came here to work with some rich ghost hunter and we decided to stay close. He has an apartment a couple blocks away. At first we tried to room together, but we got too involved in each others personal life and decided it was better to have some space. What about you, I'm sure your story of how you wound up here is a lot more interesting." Dash prompted.

"Huh, well after high school Tucker went army and is based somewhere in Florida. As for Sam and I, we traveled the US and Canada for a year or so before we went to college. Seen and did some crazy things. When we got back to Amity Park we enrolled into university. Things got a lot more complicated after that though. Eventually we went our separate ways and then my…. job got in the way and…" Danny trailed off unsure of what he could tell Dash.

Dash leaned back, sensing Danny's discomfort. After a moment, Dash decided the best thing he could do was to change topics.

"Hey, Danny let's watch a movie." Dash said as he cleared the table.

Thankful for the distraction, Danny agreed and insisted that Dash pick the movie they watch.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo

Danny sat, slightly dozing and watching the movie play. At some point it had become dark and the later it got the harder a time Danny had keeping his eyes open. On the other end of the couch, Dash was having the same issue. Drained by the days events, both men were fighting to keep their eyes open. Eventually, they both gave in and fell asleep on the couch.

Hours later, unsure of how much time had passed Dash awoke to a loud knock on the door. When he tried to stand, only then did he realize he had a Danny's head in his lap.

'God, when did Fenton get so cute' Dash caught himself thinking, 'I really am setting myself up for failure'. Dash swept the hair from Danny's now clean hair, and soon found himself playing in it as he fell back asleep.

**Sorry it's a bit slow, just trying to build up to things!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Let me know what you think! I had a really hard time finishing this chapter, so if you like this story please let me know and I'll continue it. All reviews are VERY appreciated and I will probably love you for life. Thanks for reading! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom. **

Danny was woken by the sunlight streaming in from the less than modest window in the livingroom of Dash's flat. Rubbing his eyes Danny sat up, realizing his head laid on the jocks lap.

'When the hell did that happen' Danny asked himself as he took in the modern design of the apartment. Danny stood, stretching his back. After all this time sleeping on the ground he had forgotten what it was like to have a soft, comfortable place to sleep.

"Dash" Danny said, testing to see if Dash was awake, "Dash?" he said a little louder. Once he decided Dash was still asleep Danny moved around the room, looking at Dash's possessions. He didn't consider it snooping since he wasn't looking _through_ anything, just what was on top.

By the time Danny finished "observing", Danny had found a _Better Homes and Gardens_ magazine, a plethora of cookbooks and even some sewing supplies. Danny couldn't help but compare Dash to what he was like in high school. For a moment he actually pictured the jock playing football in his pink apron. With a chuckle he went back to the cookbooks, deciding it was his turn to cook for Dash.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Dash woke up to the sound of clanging pots and pans from the kitchen. He stood wiping the sleep from his eyes, curious as to what the fuck could be making so much noise so early. He made his way into the small kitchen to see Danny standing over the stove, covered in flour.

"Ahh pancakes?" Dash asked as he stepped behind Fenton to look at the stove. Suddenly, very aware of how close he was to him and suddenly got the urge to wrap his arms around the this man. Instead he mumbled an apology without stepping back. When Danny turned around his face was as pink as the apron he was sporting. This time Dash started making cracks about the pink apron.

"Cute apron Fenton, it really compliments you" Dash said with a smirk as he moved to look over his shoulder at the pancakes. "Ahh, Pancakes? Yeah they never go down without a fight. Although this mess? Well it might just beat the health class flour fiasco when Fowley botched everyone's project to make cookies."

"Hilarious" Danny said, reaching around Dash for a clean towel. "But I'm sure it could be much worse" He said, tossing a handful of flour at Dash. Completely caught off guard, Dash felt the flour hit him in the middle of his black shirt.

"Alright Danny, you've done it" He said throwing a handful of flour at Danny before taking cover. Once Danny got over the shock of the jock's response he grabbed another handful of flour to pelt at him. Jokingly, the men carried on like this until they effectively ran out of ammo.

"Face it, I totally beat you" Dash said, rubbing flour from his hair. "Huh, you know with all that flour in your hair you look rather….ghostly" Dash laughed as he reached to rub flour from Danny's hair too.

Danny blushed and avoided Dash's eyes as he started to pat his clothes trying to rid them of the flour. " Come on, lets get cleaned up" Dash said prompting Danny to follow him to the bathroom. Danny reluctantly followed, unsure of Dash's intent.

"I just though it would be quicker to rinse out hair together." Dash explained, " If you would rather I could step out while you clean up.I don't mind, uhh maybe I should have asked first…" he said when Danny looked hesitant. Danny shrugged and leaned over to rinse his hair with Dash following suit.

o0o0o0o0o0o0

Clean and dried the men sat eating the pancakes Danny prepared. "Yeah, but Danny Phantom rules! He would always be there to swoop in and save everyone from all the villians! Man he was my idol growing up." Dash said, defending his childhood hero.

"Not all the villains" Danny replied as his heart dropped to his stomach.

"But he was so badass, I can't even count how many times he saved my ass."

"Well it doesn't matter now does it! He's gone and he will never be back, okay? So just fucking forget about him" Danny yelled as he stood and stomped from the apartment, slamming the front door behind him.

"Fuck" was all Dash could say as he ran out the door in pursuit. Unsure of which direction Danny went, Dash went in the direction of the fire escape stairs. Running down them three or four at a time, it was seconds until Dash hit the street. About thirty yards ahead of him he could see Fenton, still in Dash's clothes, walking furiously down the street. Dash sprinted to catch up to him, hoping Danny would communicate with him.

Once Dash caught up he could see tears running down Danny's face, and immediately went to hug him. The raven haired man fell into Dash, unable to hold back his tears. "Shh, Danny, it's okay. You're okay, You're safe. I've got you" Dash said, trying to soothe him. Once Danny calmed enough to speak, he immediately started apologizing. Dash simply continued to reassure him as he lead them back to his apartment.

They sat in the small kitchen, tea in front of them waiting for one of them to break the silence. Eventually Dash gave in, "Hey Danny?... What did you mean when you said Phantom was never coming back?".

Danny winced, took a deep breath and finally answered. "Phantom doesn't exist anymore. All m-his powers are gone. He's useless." He looked down as he spoke.

"Danny?"

"Yes?"

"You're Phantom aren't you?"

Danny froze, unsure of how to answer the jock. " Uhh, yeah. Yeah I was Danny Phantom.". He was waiting for some sort of freak out, any reaction really. When he looked up he seen Dash nod slowly, a look of understanding in his eyes. "Stay here" Dash said as he walked hastily from the room.

Not long after, Dash returned with a box and dumped it's contents on the table. Carefully, the once half ghost leafed through one of the albums. There seemed to be dozens of photos. Some were of him flying, fighting other ghosts, even the occasional one of him knocked out. "These….these are all of me, well Phantom, but me" Danny said in disbelief.

"Yeah, I uhh was a bit of a fanboy , if you will" Dash said as a pink hue spread across his cheeks. Almost like it was contagious, Danny started to blush to. "Oh! Come here I have to show you this!" Dash said, grabbing a disc and running to the living room. Danny followed, curious as to what could have the jock so excited. The two men sat on the couch, "Me and Kwan made this back in sophomore year" Dash said.

The film was a 'documentary' about Danny Phantom and his "amazing"-there words not his; impact on Amity Park. Danny was actually impressed with the film and when the credits rolled he lay his head on the jocks shoulder. "Thanks Dash, that actually made my day. Dash blushed suddenly hyper aware of Danny's movements. After a while, he lay his head on top of the half ghost's and let out a sigh. "Anything for you Fenton" He teased.

**So guys, don't worry I still have plans for this story! I hope you liked it, please review. I love hearing criticisms to my writing, it helps me improve. Thank you for reading! 3 **


End file.
